Unit 7: Set 3. Modernization on North Dakota Farms - Diary Sold Cows

Another episode in my life has ended today. I sold my milk cows. There will be no more milking by us. I started to milk one cow to be feed to the little calf. I could do that to help out for my Mother. I was 7 years old. I milked out half of the milk and feed the calf Mother finished the rest of the milking on that cow but soon I milked out all in one cow and after that I milked every year till I am now 74 years old. A long tieme

And I had the blues all day. So lonsome not to see the cows. Yet a wonderfull feeling not to wash the separator. I wash that for 52 years.

I started to milk at the age of 7 years. Just milked a kind cow and feed the milk to a new born calf. And I felt so proud to be able to help mother. And not baby sit. Yes a happy memory.

My mother milked the cows out side in a coral made of poles. 7 cows up to 8 – yes what a job for a mother beside a big family to cook for. Wash cloths on a tub at first then a kind of wash machine that was hand powered Gee how nice about this day and age women got it. 1959